Our trustees should be telling it like it is

SUBMITTED PHOTO Upper Canada District School Board trustee John McAllister was sworn in as the regional public board's new chairman at the newly elected board's inaugural meeting Wednesday. McAllister, centre, is flanked by Justice John Johnston, left, and board director Stephen Sliwa, right. Trustee Bill MacPherson was elected as vice-chairman. McAllister represents Athens, Elizabethtown-Kitley, Front of Yonge, Gananoque and Leeds and the Thousand Islands. MacPherson represents Drummond/North Elmsley, Lanark Highlands, Montague, Perth and Tay Valley.BT

There’s a balance to be struck between not biting the hand that feeds you, but still being able to look that gift horse in the mouth and recoil at the odour.

The Upper Canada District School Board and Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario trustees have decided they’re staying well on the side of not biting the hand of the Ontario government, despite the unpalatable budgets they’re being asked to pass this month.

UCDSB trustees will gather in Brockville Wednesday to approve over $11 million in cuts to their budget, following a special meeting held last week.

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Given the opportunity to do so, none of the ones interviewed would take the bait and lob any criticism at the provincial government. In fact, in his statement prior to the start of the public session a the June 12 special meeting, board chair John McAllister went out of his way to have the board take full responsibility for the deficit.

Even though part of it comes from the continuing impact of an arbitration decision for school bus operators, contracted by the regional school bus consortium under provincial rules. The consortium itself was a creation of the province, not something the school boards did by choice.

While the numbers on the 2019-20 budget aren’t quite as clear at the Catholic board — it does not post full reports and agendas online — its trustees were expected to have to deal with a teeny deficit.

There as well, trustees are hesitant to call it like it is. I’m glad to do them the favour.

Our two local boards are facing budget deficits and cuts going into 2019-20 because the government is not providing enough money and they’re legally required to pass balanced budgets.

In an era where the province funds almost every single dollar in the system, the government was well aware of what increase would be needed to sustain status-quo levels. It has chosen not to fund to those needs, but others moving forward.

This means, as we’ve seen locally, the continued underfunding in special education will only get worse, as school boards move the few discretionary funds they control to cover deficits elsewhere. It means despite the government promising no layoffs and placing a grant in place to prevent them, there will likely still be some teachers and other staff members in our schools today who want to be back in September and won’t.